There remains a need for clamp devices adapted for surgical procedures which can occlude a tubular conduit, such as an artery, vein, or intestine, with little or no damage to fragile tissue.
In order to perform surgery upon blood vessels, particularly arteries which are under high pressure, it is often necessary to create a temporary barrier to the flow of blood through the tubular conduit. Various metal and plastic devices are known and used to perform this function. In most cases, the devices depend upon compressive force and hard gripping surfaces to prevent slippage. The force required to occlude a blood vessel is usually sufficiently concentrated to damage the walls of the blood vessel. The blood vessels most commonly operated upon are those which are diseased and degenerated. Such blood vessels are susceptible to damage by compressive forces, and thereby increase the prospect of surgical complications.
Typical of the surgical clamping instruments known in the medical field are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,686,521; 2,796,867; 3,171,184; 3,363,628; 3,461,876; 3,503,396; 3,503,398; 3,507,270; 3,509,882; 3,538,917; 3,581,551; 3,730,186; 3,766,925; 3,786,816; 3,797,489; 3,840,018; and references cited therein.
While each of the known surgical clamps has advantages for specific surgical procedures, none have been found to provide design features which are ideally suited for occlusion of blood vessels which are in a diseased or degenerated condition.
Some surgical clamps have hard gripping surfaces which occlude tubular conduits by squeezing the lumen space flat. Other surgical clamps are large metal devices which are difficult to introduce into constricted body cavities, or cannot be quickly applied or removed as may be necessary. Still other surgical clamps are complex in design, expensive, and difficult to clean and sterilize for reuse.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clamp device adapted for occluding a tubular conduit such as an artery, vein, or intestine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surgical clamp which can occlude a blood vessel with an adjustable compressive force.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surgical occluder for blood vessels which can be applied and removed rapidly with single hand manipulation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a surgical occluder which has a firmly flexible and pressure-deformable clamping grip which minimizes damage to tubular conduits in a fragile condition.
Other objects and advantages shall become apparent from the accompanying description and drawings.